The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-07-22
FRIGHTFUL SMASH-UP|
ON tn EnIE RAILROAD.
A Train Going FIFTY Miles au Hour Dasi,ss
lhto Gang Of 1tallun Laborors-A Sick.
eains Scene Of DIsmembered bodies.
II Furious Survivors Seek Revenge,

NEw YoRH, July ala gang Of Italian
laborera were at work bsllasting on the
Erie Railroad, little distance from
Aaharp Grove, about thrse-lau,.hs OF q
milo above Hopokus, bstwseu that place
and Allendale. The Chicago Express
which WAS due an hour before had not A.
rived, and these men were busy at work
unconscious Of the terrible late which was
In store for them. AT a quarter past seven
o'clock, train No. 70, the delayed express,
rushea round tho curve before the men
hsd the slightcs. warning, dashed through
them, killing twelve or fifteen on the spot
and wounding many others.
" A alcEENINd sIaur.
The shrieks OF tho victims were heart.
rending, and when the train slowed up
the truck presented the slckening sight Of
being covered with mnngled bodies, the
rails being epattered with blood, and
blood, broken limbs, and pieces Of ragged
flesh being Hcattered in all directions.
Some OF the bodies were mangled beyond
description and crushed out OF oil sem.
blance Of humanity. To most Of the vic.
tins death must have come inutantane-
ously, but some Of them appeared to be
yet quivering and lie ebbing away whom
the train was brought to a standetill,
There was only fifteen minutes delay, and
the train which had wrought 80 much dis.
aster pcoceeded on Its way from Ailendsle
to Hopokus. The question Of who is to
blame is yet 10 be settled, but 1t la claimed
that 1t was the duty Of the foreman OF the
gang OF laborers to watch for approaching
trains ut the dangerous curve, and that he
must have neglected to listen for the
warning whistle. .l9
'-5 STORY OF A WITNESS. n
Mr.. L. Hudson, 3 passenger on the local
train which was behind tho Chicago Elk.
press, in conversation with a reporter, de-
acribed the gcene as one Of the most sick
ening that could be witnessed. "Alonp
The tracks," he said, "were arms, legs,
trunks and other parta Of bodies, aud the
tracks for q long distance were slippery
with blood. The disaster must have taken
place with inch appalling suddennsss that
tho men did not know till the train was
down on them. The conductor Of the
train on which rode said that the train
hands Of the express were not to blame;
he believed the foreman OF the gang was
responsible for the disaster by neslecting
to give warning"
DAsaINd AHEAD AT FIFTY MILES AN HOUR.
Another account Of the terrible accident
says that about 100 ItalisnB were at work
on the road bed when train came along,
and the Italians stepped onto the other
track to allow the train to 20 by, but Just
then the Chicago express Numbered down
on them at the rate Of fifty miles an hour
and literally moved its way through,
singing the unfortunates right and left,
tearing arms and legs and heads off and
grinding flesh into the roadbed for two or
three hundred feet. So fierce was the
shock that, although the engine struck
but human beings, the powerful
COW catcher WIS torn, twisted and broken
into pieces. Some Of the Italians were
crowded in against the rocks, very mar
now space, and they crouched down in
terror, lg.-,l IS